Electric steaming iron



Feb. 11, 1941. s. MARVIN ELECTRIC STEAMING IRON 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 16, 1938 INVENTOR.

5m NLEY M RV s. MARVIN ELE CTRIC STEAMING IRON Filed Sept. 16, use

Feb. 11, 194-1.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 om 2.! \h Um W! mm wI UH 1 mi km e INVENTOR. STA NL EY MARVIN ORNE'Y.

Patented Feb. 11. 194

PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC STEAMING IRON Stanley Marvin. Bnrlin gamc, CaliL, assignor to- B. E. Within, Oakland, Calif.

Application September 1c, 1938, Serial No. 230,302

' 6 Claims. (01. 38-77) This invention relates to electric flat irons of the type which are provided with means for elect- I ing steam into the goods during the process of ironing. and the principal object of the invention is to provide improvements in water and steam control of such electric irons.

Particular features and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description and accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a substantially full size elevation of my improved electric steaming iron with the base and body of the iron broken away to the center line, and most of the near side of the split handle also broken away to reveal the inner construction.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the base or sole plate portion of the iron. with the body omitted and the near half of the cover plate broken away.

Figure 3 is airagmentary section of Figure 2 as seen from the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section of Figure 2 as seen from the line 4-4 thereof.

Figure 5 is a vertical cross section of the iron as seen from the line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a horizontal cross section of the vided with finger operated valves for controlling the water fiow drop by drop to the steam passages.

' In the drawings, the cast metal base portion is designated I, the body portion or shell 2, the hollow handle 3, the hollow handle being vertically split along its center line into two halves secured together as by screws 4.

Extending horizontally into a flat wedgeshaped slot in the base is a wedge-shaped electric heating element assembly 5 which is described and claimed in my copending patent application filed under Serial No. 230,301, new Patent No. 2,162,918, and forming nopart of the present invention, except as a means of heating the base and body of the iron for the generation of steam. Part of the thermostatior automatic control of the temperature is indicated a 6 and its adjustment lever or handle at I, but as this is also fully described and claimed in a co-pending patent application filed under Serial No. 230,300, September 16, 1938, it need not be considered further in the present case. a

The base portion is shown of conventional flat iron form as indicated in Figure 2, and may be modified to suit any requirement. Itis provided with an upstanding wall 8 set inwardly from its 'at B to form an elevated V-shaped ridge which is perforated with two rows of fine'apertures l3 which extend through the lower face of the shoe outer edge and following the general form of the V reduced in diameter as indicated at 13'. These apertures may be gradually reduced to the smaller diameter as by tapering them if desired and which will-permit die casting of the holes in place. Extending longitudinally between the side walls 8 is a plurality of channels l4, l5, l6, l1 and 18 which are covered on top by a gasket sheet l9 surmounted on which is a heavy metal plate 20 bolted down tightly as by cap screws 2|. The bottoms of channels l5, l6 and I! are slanted upwardly toward the forward end vexcept that in the extreme forward ends of channels l5 and H are abruptly deeper portions l5, l1, forming sumps or water traps.

Channels l5 and I1 connect near their forward ends only with outer channels I4 and It! by short lateral passages 22 formed through the longitudinal ribs 23, which separate the channels while leavinga step or-barrier 24 so that channels I4 and i8 themselves become relatively large shallow traps.

Central channel l6 connects at its rear end only with channels l5 and I! by way of slanted walls 25, and as well to two laterally extending channels 26, 21; in a manner to form relatively low abrupt walls or ridges 28, 29, in channels [5, I1, 26, and 21 to hold any water which might condense in them against running back into the central channel l4 It will thus be seen that a series of elongated channels is provided, acting as water traps with relation to each other, and connected at their ends only, and with some provided with deep sumps or traps at their extreme ends.

Gasket I9 and cover plate 20 are apertured at two points as best indicatedin Figure 3 at 30 and with the plate offset upward to form a lid or roof over the opening and suflicient to form a small crack or slit 3!, directed rearwardly ior egress of steam to the steam space 32 between the inverted shell-like body 2 and the top of plate 20 for travel forwardly and upwardly to and down into the apertures l3.

It should be noted that steam from slits 3| first shoots rearwardly to the end of space 32, is reversed abruptly to shoot to the forward end and thus depdsits any still contained moisture at the lower dead end of space 32. At the forward end of steam space 32 is a final relatively deep sump 33 into which the last trace of moisture will be thrown as the clean dry steam passes downwardly being pierced to match the well for passage of the plug. Plug 36 is preferably grooved circumferem. tially and drilled radially to the groove as at 88 to insure a water connection to passage 34 after. screwing in place.

Plug 36 is formed with an enlarged integral nut portion 33 beveled off at its lower edge to fit tightly into the upper end of the hole in plate 20 which is chamfered to match and thus seal the joint at this point against water or wet steam leakage. Above nut portion 39 the plug is exteriorly threaded as at 40 and carries an internally threaded gland nut 4i compressing packing material 42 in a bevel ended recess formed between the lower end of the gland and the bottom of a counterbore 43 formed in the upper side of body portion 2 to thus seal this joint against the egress of steam from. steam space 32.

The upper end of plug 36 receives the lowerend of a short piece of copper tubing 47 sealed in place as by a threaded compressionfitting 44.

The handle 3 of the iron is held in place against the body at this end by means of a nut 45 threaded onto the upper portion of the plug and screwed down against a washer Bil overlying a slotted lug 6! formed on the far half only of the hollow split handle. This lug is shown better in plan in Figure 6 where its open slot which straddles the plug 36 is shown at 62. This arrangement permits the far half of the handle to be firmly secured to the iron and after which the near half of the handle is slipped in place and secured to the other half as by screws 4.

The upper end of tube M connects with a water controlling valve casting 48 (as by brazing at 64, or casting in place) which is embraced within the two halves of the hollow split handle 3. Casting 48 is hollow and contains two valves, one 49 a spring closed water admission valve, and the other 50 a needle valve positioned at a point following the water admission valve for determining the maximum amount of water admitted to the plug 36 for passage to the stream channels when valve aasnava Valve 43 is secured to a slidable stem Bl suitably packed as at 52 and which projects at its outer end andis normally forced outward to close the valve by a compression spring 58 reacting between the valve and a threaded plug 15. A hollow plug guides the outer end of the valve stem, and a spring 16 reacts between this plug and the packing 82 to hold the latter compressed, while a pivoted thumb or finger lever 13 provides for pushing the stem inward to more or less open the valve as it is desired to direct steam into the goods being ironed. A valve seat member 54, suitably secured within casting 48, is ported axially under the valve, and then laterally as at 53 to a small passage 58 controlled by the needle valve 50, and from which a passage 59 leads to the upper end of tube 41. The needle valve is suitably packed as at 63 under spring pressure as described for valve stem 5| and fitted with a relatively large thumb nut 85 for easy adjustment.

Casting 48 is provided with a laterally projecting nipple indicated at 66 which extends out of an opening in the handle to receive a small water supply hose for bringing water under pressure to the iron.

To insure freedom from possible clogging of the needle valve any suitable filter may be placed at a point before the admission valve 49, such for instance as by providing perforations 6'! in plug 15 and a filling of fibrous filtering material 68 outward of the plug, This could be easily accessible through an opening 69 in the handle, by removing end plug 19 without requiring the opening of the handle.

In the drawings the right-hand end of the bandle is indicated as being secured to the body and base portions of the iron as by a bolt 1! passing through a strap nut 12 within the split handle, but any other way of securing it in place may be used. The hollow split handle is preferably moulded ofcompositlon or suitable plastic such as Bakelite" or other material less conductive to heat than metal. The electric wire leads and switch for the heating current are omitted in the showing as having no bearing on the present invention which is limited to the control of the water from its point of entrance to its point of exit into the goods as dry steam.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In an electric steaming iron comprising a base portion, an inverted shell-like body portion upon the base, a handle upon the body, and an electric heating element within the base, said base formed on its upper side with a plurality of spaced channels connected adjacent their ends in a manner to cause sudden reversals oi flow of steam flowing from one channel to the other, and sumps at the ends of some of the channels into which moisture from the steam is thrown upon reversal of the flow.

2. In an electric steaming iron comprising a base portion, an inverted shell-like body portion upon the base, a handle upon the body, and an electric heating element within the base, said base formed on its upper side with a plurality of spaced channels open at the top and in fluid I communication adiacent their ends in a manner to cause sudden reversals of flow of steam flowing from one channel to the other, and sumps at the ends of some of the channels into which moisture from the steam is thrown upon reversal of the flow, a cover plate covering said channels formed'with a restricted opening for escape of steam, a steam space provided under said insteam space through the base oi the iron. 3. In an electric ironcomprising a' base portion, an inverted shell-like body portion upon the base. ;a handle upon the body; and an electric heating element within the base, said base formed on its upper side with-aplurality oi spaced channels connected adjacent their ends in a manner to cause sudden reversals oi how of steam flowing irom one channel. to theother. and sumps'at the 'endsof someot the channels into which moisture from the steam is thrown upon reversal of theflow, a cover plate covering said channels formed with a restricted opening for escape of steam'adjacent one end of a steam space provided under said inverted shell-like body above said cover plate. and steam ejecting passages leading from an elevated point adjacent the oppositeend oi said steam space through the'baseoftheironh' 4. In an electric steaming iron comprising a base portion an inverted shell-like body portion upon the base, a handle upon the'body, and an electric heating element within the base, said base formed on its upper side'with a plurality of spaced channels connected adjacent their ends in a manner to cause sudden reversals oi flow of steam flowing from one channel tothe other,

sumps at the ends or some or the channels into which moisture iron the steam is thrown upon reversal oi the iiow. and baiiies' extending upwardly from the bottom of the fluid passages at the connectingpoints oi the channels to prevent tree flow oi moisture-immune channel to ans a 5. In the construction set out in claim 2, said channels and their s parating walls being generally higher toward the forward end of the iron. j

and said cover plate similarly slanted'upward 10 toward the front end of the iron so as to drain any precipitated moisture rearwardly. and said .steam electing es opening at their-upper r ends at the high end oi said cover plate.

6.Inastructureassetoutinclaim1,saidig channels having relatively high walls projecting above the main body 01' said base and a common outer wall surrounding the entire group of channels, means for feeding water to said channels. a cover plate covering said channels provided 20 with a steam exit opening, said inverted shelllike body enclosing'the group of channels and said cover plate and providing a steam space above said cover plate, a plurality of small steam passages leading from an elevated point in said 25 steam spacethrough the under side of said base,

the body shell being seated on said base alonB' an area entirely surrounding said channels,

STANLEY MARVIN. 30 

